I recently received an email from one of the members of the senior advisory committee a reminder of what we are working toward with a volunteer driver program; it said “what we are about kindness is free”. Most who know me, know that my mother who is as we say in the industry “aging in place” which means she still lives in her home in Spokane that she and my father bought about 25 years ago. Shortly after moving in my father passed away suddenly, leaving my mother in this home with a big yard on her own. Now, she is fiercely independent but also realizes that her neighbors, most will pitch in and help if asked, and she does ask for help.

Yesterday evening I got a call for her and she shared a beautiful reminder that “kindness is free”. She has a young boy who helps her mow the lawn which is includes a fairly steep slope that leads down to the street. She noticed that a patch near the road was not cut, so she decided to just cut it herself. Using the large lawn mower she set out to even out her lawn. Pushing the mower down the hill, it took control of her and threw her down the hill and landed on the top of her. She said to me, that as she was laying on the street unable to move the mower she wondered when a neighbor might be home to help her.

As luck would have it a car came by, and kept going, she though the driver must of seen her, but they didn’t stop. A minute later the car returned and a very tall, 16 year old young man, got out of the car and asked “lady, are you working on that lawn mower?”, she explained what happened and this young man, who was on his way home from football practice, picked up the mower and assisted her up the hill, he wondered if he should call 911 and she said she thought she would be ok.

The young man; River, went on his way, only to come back later that day with his mother to check on my mom. Mom was so touched by River’s kindness she call the athletic director of at Mead High School to share what a wonderful young man River and what a kind thing he did, and of course she is making him a batch of cookies. River’s minute of kindness will not be forgotten by me who worries daily how my mom is getting along, but he will soon find out as he looks in the stands at his football game, that the little gray hair lady leading the crowd in cheers for the team and River will always be thankful that “kindness is free, and usually pays you back over and over with your connections to others”.I recently received an email from one of the members of the senior advisory committee a reminder of what we are working toward with a volunteer driver program; it said “what we are about kindness is free”. Most who know me, know that my mother who is as we say in the industry “aging in place” which means she still lives in her home in Spokane that she and my father bought about 25 years ago. Shortly after moving in my father passed away suddenly, leaving my mother in this home with a big yard on her own. Now, she is fiercely independent but also realizes that her neighbors, most will pitch in and help if asked, and she does ask for help.

Yesterday evening I got a call for her and she shared a beautiful reminder that “kindness is free”. She has a young boy who helps her mow the lawn which is includes a fairly steep slope that leads down to the street. She noticed that a patch near the road was not cut, so she decided to just cut it herself. Using the large lawn mower she set out to even out her lawn. Pushing the mower down the hill, it took control of her and threw her down the hill and landed on the top of her. She said to me, that as she was laying on the street unable to move the mower she wondered when a neighbor might be home to help her.

As luck would have it a car came by, and kept going, she though the driver must of seen her, but they didn’t stop. A minute later the car returned and a very tall, 16 year old young man, got out of the car and asked “lady, are you working on that lawn mower?”, she explained what happened and this young man, who was on his way home from football practice, picked up the mower and assisted her up the hill, he wondered if he should call 911 and she said she thought she would be ok.

The young man; River, went on his way, only to come back later that day with his mother to check on my mom. Mom was so touched by River’s kindness she call the athletic director of at Mead High School to share what a wonderful young man River and what a kind thing he did, and of course she is making him a batch of cookies. River’s minute of kindness will not be forgotten by me who worries daily how my mom is getting along, but he will soon find out as he looks in the stands at his football game, that the little gray hair lady leading the crowd in cheers for the team and River will always be thankful that “kindness is free, and usually pays you back over and over with your connections to others”.